More than 10 years ago, I encouraged local governments throughout the Ninth Congressional District to find a means of deploying broadband networks so that affordable high-speed Internet access would be available to businesses and residents. My goals in making this recommendation were to set our region apart in comparison to other rural areas of the nation, to make us more attractive than the typical rural region to industries looking to expand their operations into new locations, and to create technology-based jobs for Southwest Virginians.

Today, I am pleased to note that many communities across the Ninth Congressional District are making great strides in the deployment of broadband networks. Fiber optic backbone is being installed in locations across Southwest Virginia.

Additionally, I am continuing to work with local communities to identify sources of funding to assist them in deploying high speed Internet services over the last mile to reach our region’s homes and businesses. For the past few years, I have hosted a series of workshops to inform local governments and Internet Service Providers of the federal funding programs available for the construction of broadband networks. As a result of these workshops, communities throughout the Southwest Virginia have been successful in seeking highly competitive federal grant funds to build high-speed networks which are providing service to areas that traditional telecommunications providers have ignored.

This year, I set a goal in my office that the Ninth Congressional District would have more grant applications submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Connect Program than any other Congressional District in the nation. Many communities across the region joined my challenge, and I am pleased that this year, the Ninth Congressional District is receiving more broadband grants than any other Congressional District in the nation. In fact, the number of grants we are receiving this year exceeds the number of grants being provided in any state except Virginia.

Just as first canals, then railroads and then highways were the major arteries of commerce in earlier eras, in the 21st Century, access to broadband is a defining feature of economic success for rural communities. Step by positive step our expanding broadband infrastructure is assuring that Southwest Virginia’s communities will be at the center of economic opportunity.

Rick Boucher is Congressman for the 9th District of Virginia, which includes the New River Valley. You can catch his Capitol Commentary regularly at the New River Voice.